[quote]Game Informer has learned that Disney is closing its LucasArts game publishing subsidiary. We received an email from a LucasArts representative confirming the news.The official statement reads as follows:
[I]"After evaluating our position in the games market, we've decided to shift LucasArts from an internal development to a licensing model, minimizing the company's risk while achieving a broader portfolio of quality Star Wars games. As a result of this change, we've had layoffs across the organization. We are incredibly appreciative and proud of the talented teams who have been developing our new titles."
[/I]
In some ways, the news is not a surprise. LucasArts had seemed directionless in recent years. The company's core business of games based on the Star Wars license have been largely disappointing in both quality and sales. While the company had some success with games like Star Wars: The Force Unleashed and the Battlefront series, both of those franchises seemed to have died on the vine. The cancellation of Star Wars Battlefront III was particularly ugly, which led to nasty public fingerpointing between LucasArts and developer Free Radical. The BioWare developed MMORPG Star Wars: The Old Republic (which was co-published with EA) won strong reviews but failed to maintain subscribers, and was eventually forced into instituting a free-to-play business model.
LucasArt's other big franchise, Indiana Jones, has failed to make much of a dent in games in recent years, with the exception of Traveller's Tales LEGO Indiana Jones series that, once again, was not developed by LucasArts. Meanwhile, series like Uncharted and Tomb Raider, which are both heavily influenced by the Indiana Jones films, have thrived.
More recently, LucasArts caused a stir at E3 2012 with an impressive looking demo for a new Star Wars project entitled Star Wars 1313. However, in the months that followed, the project seemed to lose steam, and rumors circulated that the game had ceased production.
[URL="https://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2013/04/03/disney-closes-game-publisher-lucasarts.aspx"]Full article[/URL][/quote]
I was really looking forward to Star Wars 1313. My sympathies to all who lost their jobs today.
Wait a minute, it's not April 1st anymore...
fuuuuuuuuuuuuck
I can't think of a more fitting article for Darth Vader's "NOOOO!"
I guess LucasArts hasn't been very good in recent years anyway. I've been looking forward to that next-gen Indiana Jones game with Euphoria forever, not that I was ever expecting to see it anyway.
Wait what
Well somehow I'm not surprised.
Oh well, they don't produce anything good anyways...
Does this mean no Battlefront 3?
Nice move Disney.
what fuck no fuck no
fuck no are you fucking kidding me
actually all things considered licensing them may be the way to go
or it may ruin lucas games but we dont know yet
still super sorry for those people who lost their jobs and all
I'm ok with this
No more Star Wars: 1313? fuck you Disney.
But... 1313... Battlefront 3...
God damnit
Damn, dude. It's like Disney is gutting Star Wars. Next thing you know, they'll be sending cease-and-desist letters to all of the EU authors.
-snop-
There goes ANY hope for Battlefront 3, And here comes EVERY chance for a Star Wars Kinect 2!
[sp]god help us all[/sp]
Well fuck.
I was surprised but after reading the article, it really makes sense.
[url]http://www.vg247.com/2013/04/03/disney-shuttering-lucasarts-game-publishing-arm/[/url]
Alt source.
I don't know what people were expecting with a title that has an unlucky number TWICE
Oh I can not stop saying "oh"
snip
Are they keeping the devs? If so it's not too bad.
It will probably only be Star Wars games aimed at kids from now on, or stuff like that Angry Birds game.
I was really looking forward to 1313, or the chance of Battlefront 3. I doubt we will see either of those or get anything like those now.
A shame about the lay offs, but will be interesting to see what happens from here.
RIP.
Wait, how is this any different from how it was before? I didn't realize LucasArts had even MADE any games, I thought they only published third-party Star Wars games.
Oh come on, I just want a new Star wars game which doesn't involve kinect
I guess that means no American Graffiti:The Video Game
This is a good thing. Recently LucasArts produced nothing but mediocre crap.
This way they can license stuff to people who are actually making good games.
Sorry, you need to Log In to post a reply to this thread.